Railway switch-point



Patented Mar. 23, I920.

, mama-m WIIJLIAM M. MITCHELL, OF LOUISVILLE, KENTUCKY.

RAILWAY SWITCH-POINT.-

Specification of Letters Iatent.

Patented Mar. 23, 1920.

Application filed April 10, 1919. Serial No. 289,013.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, WILLIAM M. MITCH- ELL, a citizen of the United States, residing at Louisville, in the county of J efi'erson and State of Kentucky, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Railway Switch-Points, of which the following is a specification, reference being had therei in to the accompanying drawing. Y

The invention relates to improvements in switch rails.

It is an object of the invention to provide a switch rail having its upper portion along one end cut away to receive and seat a separable switch point that may be of any preferred material that is welded to the rail to provide an integral or rigid structure, yet one in which the point may be removed when worn or mutilated for the substitution of a new point to the rail to prevent the discarding of the entire rail when a point is worn out, it being understood that the life of the rail is far greater than that of the point. p

A further object of the invention is. to secure a switch point to a switch rail in a manner that will not weaken the point to the slightest extent, as by forming therein apertures or sockets for the receptlonof fastening studs, as is customary in the prior art structures.

The invention further consists in forming the switch point with a seating surface adapted to be seated upon a complemental surface on the web of the cut out portion of the rail, which surfaces serve to center the point and facilitate the welding of the point tothe rail to produce an integral rigid structure.

It is another object of the invention to provide a switch rail in which the polnt is fashioned to receive a centering part of the web to maintain or center the point upon the switch rail in its proper'position durlng the fusing of the same to the rail.

With these and other objects in view the invention consists of certain'novel details of construction and combination of arts hereinafter more fully described and polnted out in the claims.

In the drawings: Figure 1 represents a tapering switeh point.

Fig. 2 illustrates the end of a switch rail cut out t accommodate the switch point.

Fig. 3 shows the tapering switch point and the switch rail in position.

Fig. 4 is a plan view showing the appli catlion of the switch point to an adjacent ra1 Fig. 5 is a cross sectional View through the main rail and the switch point.

Fig. 6 is a section of the switch point showing a modification in the longitudinal I cut in the web of the rail.

Figs. 7 and 8 are further modifications.

Fig. 9 is a cross section of the rail and switch point disclosing a modified form.

Figs. 10 and 11 are sections showing modifications wherein stiffening plates are utilized. Referring now more particularly to the drawings, wherein like reference characters indicate corresponding parts, the numeral 1 indicates a main rail suitably secured by the usual spikes to the ties :2 adjacent which is a switch rail 3. The switch rail is adjusted to and from the main rail by means of the bearing rod 4; that is of any well known construction. It will be understood 1 that the switch oint is for the pur ose of deflecting the direction of travel 0- a vehicle movable over the rail and only one main rail and a switch rail is shownwhich will suffice for a pair of rails. If the direction of travel of the vehicle is not to be deflected then, of course, the switch point is moved from out of contact with the rail 1.

As clearly disclosed in Fig. 1 the switch rail is of a tapering formatlon toward its end and is cut away in its upper part, as indicated by the character 5, at one end to provide a space or seat for the switch point 6 of a tapering formation having its seated surface beveled as at 8 to fit a corresponding bevel formed on the Web 9 of the rail 3 when the point is applied thereto. Only a portion of the rail is cut away at its end, providing the abutting shoulder 10 on the side of the tread and web of the rail against which the point 6 is seated, the cut away portion extending substantially to the point midway of the rail web.

The switch point 6 is of a tapering formation, as above stated, and its seating portion 8 is inclined with reference to the plane of the road bed, while its wider edge is substantially flat to snu 1y fit the flat edge 10 of the rail when tfie point is a plied thereto. After its application to t e formed surface along the rail and when it is properly seated thereon the. rail and point are welded or fused together by any suitable welding means and this welding action is materially facilitated by reason of the fact that the seating surface of the point is inclined or beveled to properly seat upon a correspondingly Web 9 of the rail structure though made up of two members when welded is of an integral formation, possessing much strength and durability and preventin the boring or drilling of holes through t e necessarily thin web portion of the point for the application of rivets or other fastening devices, as is customary in the prior art structures. Then again, where no rivets are used, there are no projecting parts in the nature of rivets, heads and the like, lying along the side of the switch point which projections are often encountered and 'receive strains that tend to cause a disrupting of the switch point from the rail. Though the switch point is welded to the rail it can be renewed from time to time without throwing away the switch rail 3, it having been found that by a proper means the point 6 can be removed from its seat on the rail and a new one substituted in its place fashioned to fit the rail and be welded thereto, it being well understood by those skilled in this art that a switch rail will outlast a vast number of 3. The complete points and that it is a needless expense to discard a rail each time a point is worn out. he point may be of a material like that of the rail but is usually made of a tougher tongue 12 material and free from brittleness to withstand the great stresses it is sub ected to. As shown in Fig. 5, the thinner end 11 of the point terminates in a fine edge which is beveled on the sideof the point that 1s away from the rail 3 against which the point is designed to bear.

In the accompanying drawings, I have shown several modified or different forms of the invention, it being observed that in Fig. 7 the web on the rail 3- is formed with a substantial V-shaped socket 12 therein adapted to receive a depending tongue 13 extending len hwise of the switch point and fitting within the socket to center or hold the point in position when being Weld- 7 ed, and a more important feature of this constructionis that the particular tongue and groove formation lends itself materially to the welding process and that tlie'structure'after being welded possesses a remarkable degree of. strength. In Fig. 8 the structure shown in Fig. 7 is merely reversed, .in this instance the web portion of the cut away end of the rail 3*is provided with a while the switch point is formed with a complemental socket 3'.

In Fig. 9 a somewhat different formation of the invention is disclosed in which the said out out of engagement.

switch point 6 has a right an le portion 14 seated upon a substantially at surface 15 of the web of the rail 3, and a continuation of this right angle portion 14 extends down along the side of the' web of the rail 3 to a point near its base. A point of this character is seated on the switch rail and after its application thereto is welded in the same manner as described in connection with the other figures.

It is sometimes desirable to reinforce the weld or fusing structure consistin of the switch oint and the switch rail, an to this end a sh plate 16 fastened to the web of the rail 3 below its seating portion is provided extending upwardly along the outer side of the switch point. f desirable a pair of switch plates 17, as shown in Fig. 11 may be employed to this same end, these plates, of course, servin to take some strain from the weld and pro ucing a structure that possesses great strength.

Havlng thus described the invention, what I claim is:

1. A switch point of the character described comprising a switch rail having a top cut out portion ad'acent one end, a tapermg point piece fitte on said out out part, e point piece and rail havin overla ping interfitting parts extending su stantial y coextensive therewith at the point of enga ement, the said point iece and the rail at t e point of engagement eing fused together to form an integral structure.

2 A switch point of the character descr bed comprising a switch rail having a top cut out portion adjacent one end, a tapering point piece fitted on said out out part, the point piece and rail having overlapping interfitting parts extending 'substantially co-extensive therewith at the point of engagement, the said point piece and the rail at the point of engagement being fused together to form an integral structure, a reinforcing plate in contact with the web of the rail and with the web of the point piece, and means for securing said reinforcing plate in position.

3. A switch point comprising a switch rail having a top out out part adjacent one end thereof, the web of which has an inclined surface, a tapering switch point fitting in part and having its seat formed with a surface complemental to the inclined surface of the web, the said switch point and the rail being welded together at their point 4. A switch point consisting of a switch rail being cut away along one end for a portion of its depth, a switch point of a tapering formation to be fitted in said cut away portion of the rail and to be fused to said rail to form an integral structure.

5. A switch point consisting of a switch rail being cut away along one end for a.

portion of its depth, a switch point ofa to seat on said longitudinal portion and to tapering formation to be fitted in said out be fused or Welded to the web of the cut out away portion of the rail and to be fused to portion of the rail. said rail to form an inte ral structure, in In testimony whereof I hereunto afl'ix my 5 combination with a stiffening plate for said signature in the presence of two witnesses. 15

structure.

6. A switch rail being cut away at one end WILLIAM MITCHELL for a portion of its depth and formed with Witnesses: an inclinedsurface along the longitudinal WM. N. HARDIN, w portion of the web, a switch point fashioned HERMAN C. Yosr. 

